Clergy cautions on Christmas celebrations

Some sections of the clergy have cautioned Malawians to celebrate Christmas Day wisely and responsibly to avoid problems that may arise from later.

The leaders from Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Blantyre Synod, Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) and Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church in Malawi expressed the sentiments in separate interviews with The Nation ahead of Christmas Day.

They observed that during the festive season, most Malawians, including Christians, celebrate Christmas Day unconsciously, a situation that creates economic and other problems in the short to medium-term.

CCAP Blantyre Synod general secretary the Reverend Billy Gama said the synod’s clergy will during the celebration preach messages on the meaning of the birth of Jesus Christ, while warning that “sometimes Christmas comes with implications”.

He said: “People do over spend. So, because they over spend, they create problems for January and February. Let people celebrate cautiously considering that it is the birth of Jesus Christ.

“I am saying this because some people drink excessively believing that they have enjoyed Christmas while they are creating more problems.”

In a separate interview, EAM general secretary Francis Mkandawire noted that most Malawians celebrate Christmas blindly, saying they believe that celebration is about rice and chickens as well as consumption of alcohol.

He said the element of over spending during Christmas should not be there because the celebration is not about feasting.

Said Mkandawire: “So our prayer is that as we celebrate Christmas this year, let us not lose sight of the significance of that. Christmas is about joy and peace. Let us all focus on the Christ who is the Prince of peace.”

On his part, SDA president Tony Yolamu Nyirenda asked Malawians to celebrate Christmas responsibly by ensuring that they are not injuring other people and even themselves.

He observed that some people celebrate Christmas to the extent of losing their lives or injuring others.

Nyirenda said: “This celebration is losing its meaning and the intended purpose because now people just celebrate anyhow.

They drink and get drunk. So they injure their own health, their own bodies in the name of celebration. That is bad celebration.”

On December 25 every year, billions of Christians around the globe celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, as their Lord and Saviour.